Europe · Traditional

Spanish cuisine

Spanish food is a vibrant celebration of bold flavours and communal dining. Savour tapas, paella, and sangria, crafted with olive oil, paprika, and fresh seafood. Each dish embodies Spain’s lively culture, from bustling markets to seaside tavernas, promising an unforgettable culinary journey that captures the spirit of fiesta in every bite.

Explore recipes Build a Spanish menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Spanish cuisine is worth exploring

Spanish food reflects Roman agriculture, Moorish influence, Catholic festivals, New World ingredients and fiercely regional cooking. Tapas culture, rice dishes, cured meats, olive oil and seafood all tell different parts of the story.

Why it is famous

Spain is famous for tapas, paella, jamón, tortillas, gazpacho, churros, seafood, paprika, saffron and sherry.

Regional food story

Spanish cuisine is not one single style. Treat the country page as a gateway into regional dishes, local ingredients, family recipes and occasion-led cooking.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

Olive oil, garlic, paprika, saffron, rice, tomatoes, peppers, seafood, pork, almonds, citrus and beans are key to Spanish cooking.

Cooking style

The cooking style ranges from simple home dishes to more elaborate food for celebrations. Good Spanish recipes usually balance staple ingredients with texture, seasoning and a clear sense of occasion.

Build a menu

Build a Spanish menu by choosing a light starter, a signature main and a dessert that shows the country’s baking or sweet traditions. Add wine or drink pairings where the dish has enough richness, spice, acidity or sweetness to make the match useful.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Spanish recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Spanish starters

Pan con Tomate

Pan con Tomate is a story-rich Spanish starter that opens the meal with clear regional flavour, simple p…

Starter 15 mins

Gambas al Ajillo

Gambas al Ajillo is a traditional Spanish starter from Madrid tapas bars and coastal Spain, built around…

Starter 21 mins

Tortilla Española

Tortilla Española is a story-rich Spanish starter that opens the meal with clear regional flavour, simpl…

Starter 50 mins

Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas is a traditional Spanish starter from Madrid tapas bars, built around potatoes and bravas…

Starter 1 hr

Croquetas de Jamón

Croquetas de Jamón is a traditional Spanish starter from Spanish home and bar cooking, built around jamó…

Starter 1 hr 10 mins

Galician Empanada

Galician Empanada is a story-rich Spanish starter that opens the meal with clear regional flavour, simpl…

Starter 1 hr 15 mins

Salmorejo

Salmorejo is a story-rich Spanish starter that opens the meal with clear regional flavour, simple presen…

Starter 2 hr

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a story-rich Spanish starter that opens the meal with clear regional flavour, simple present…

Starter 2 hr 15 mins

Main courses

Spanish main courses

Bacalao al Pil Pil

Bacalao al Pil Pil is a classic Spanish main course built around comforting flavour, cultural heritage a…

Main 30 mins

Merluza en Salsa Verde

Merluza en Salsa Verde is a traditional Spanish main from Basque Country, built around hake, parsley and…

Main 40 mins

Pollo al Ajillo

Pollo al Ajillo is a classic Spanish main course built around comforting flavour, cultural heritage and…

Main 50 mins

Migas Extremeñas

Migas Extremeñas is a traditional Spanish main from Extremadura, built around day-old bread, garlic and…

Main 1 hr

Arroz Negro

Arroz Negro is a traditional Spanish main from Valencia and Catalonia, built around rice, squid and seaf…

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Fideuà

Fideuà is a traditional Spanish main from Valencia and Catalan coast, built around short noodles and sea…

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Pisto Manchego

Pisto Manchego is a classic Spanish main course built around comforting flavour, cultural heritage and t…

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Marmitako

Marmitako is a traditional Spanish main from Basque fishing ports, built around tuna, potatoes and peppe…

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Paella Valenciana

Paella Valenciana is a classic Spanish main course built around comforting flavour, cultural heritage an…

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Albóndigas en Salsa

Albóndigas en Salsa is a traditional Spanish main from Spanish home cooking, built around meatballs and…

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Conejo al Ajillo

Conejo al Ajillo is a traditional Spanish main from Castile and rural Spain, built around rabbit and gar…

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Suquet de Peix

Suquet de Peix is a traditional Spanish main from Catalan coast, built around white fish, potatoes and p…

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Pochas con Almejas

Pochas con Almejas is a traditional Spanish main from Navarre and northern Spain, built around fresh whi…

Main 1 hr 25 mins

Pulpo a la Gallega

Pulpo a la Gallega is a traditional Spanish main from Galicia, built around octopus, potatoes and paprik…

Main 1 hr 30 mins

Caldo Gallego

Caldo Gallego is a traditional Spanish main from Galicia, built around greens, potatoes and beans and th…

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Caldereta de Cordero

Caldereta de Cordero is a traditional Spanish main from Extremadura and Castile, built around lamb shoul…

Main 2 hr 30 mins

Fabada Asturiana

Fabada Asturiana is a traditional Spanish main from Asturias, built around fabes beans, chorizo and morc…

Main 3 hr 25 mins

Rabo de Toro

Rabo de Toro is a classic Spanish main course built around comforting flavour, cultural heritage and the…

Main 4 hr

Cocido Madrileño

Cocido Madrileño is a traditional Spanish main from Madrid, built around chickpeas, vegetables and meats…

Main 4 hr 5 mins

Escudella i Carn d’Olla

Escudella i Carn d’Olla is a traditional Spanish main from Catalonia, built around broth, pasta, chickpe…

Main 4 hr 10 mins

Desserts

Spanish desserts

Churros con Chocolate

Churros con Chocolate is a traditional Spanish dessert with a memorable texture, a sense of occasion and…

Dessert 35 mins

Crema Catalana

Crema Catalana is a traditional Spanish dessert with a memorable texture, a sense of occasion and the sw…

Dessert 40 mins

Torrijas

Torrijas is a traditional Spanish dessert from Easter cooking across Spain, built around bread, milk, eg…

Dessert 40 mins

Tarta de Santiago

Tarta de Santiago is a traditional Spanish dessert with a memorable texture, a sense of occasion and the…

Dessert 50 mins

Arroz con Leche

Arroz con Leche is a traditional Spanish dessert from Asturias and Spain-wide, built around rice, milk…

Dessert 55 mins

Leche Frita

Leche Frita is a traditional Spanish dessert from northern Spanish sweets, built around milk custard, fl…

Dessert 55 mins

Flan de Huevo

Flan de Huevo is a traditional Spanish dessert from Spanish home desserts, built around eggs, milk and c…

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Ensaimada

Ensaimada is a traditional Spanish dessert from Mallorca, built around yeasted dough and lard or butter…

Dessert 1 hr 18 mins

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Spanish food

Rioja and Tempranillo pair with lamb, paprika and roast meat; Albariño is excellent with seafood; Cava suits fried tapas; Fino sherry is superb with salty starters; Pedro Ximénez works with rich desserts.

Red

Rioja / Tempranillo

Spanish red with red fruit, vanilla, leather and spice. Good with garlic chicken, lamb, roast meat, paprika and grilled…

Grape: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano Region: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Navarra

White

Albariño / Vinho Verde

Fresh coastal white wine with citrus, peach, sea-spray minerality and bright acidity. Excellent with seafood, salt cod…

Grape: Albariño, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto Region: Rías Baixas, Minho, Vinho Verde

White

Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris

Clean, easy-drinking white with pear, apple and citrus. Good for light starters, mild fish, salads and simple vegetable…

Grape: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris Region: Veneto, Friuli, Alsace, Oregon

Sparkling

Moscato d'Asti

Lightly sparkling sweet Piedmontese wine with grape, peach and orange blossom.

Grape: Moscato Bianco Region: Piedmont

Dessert

Sauternes / Botrytised Sweet Wine

Luscious sweet wine with apricot, honey, marmalade and balancing acidity. Good with custards, fruit tarts, blue cheese…

Grape: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle Region: Sauternes, Barsac, Monbazillac, Tokaj-inspired regions

Dessert

Sweet Muscat

Fragrant sweet wine with orange blossom, grape, peach and honey. Best with pastries, custards, fruit desserts and light…

Grape: Muscat Blanc, Moscatel, Muscat of Alexandria Region: Rutherglen, Beaumes-de-Venise, Setúbal, Asti

Fortified

Pedro Ximénez Sherry

Intensely sweet sherry with raisin, molasses, coffee and fig. Best with churros, chocolate, ice cream, sticky puddings…

Grape: Pedro Ximénez Region: Jerez, Montilla-Moriles

Local beers

Spanish beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers

Estrella Galicia

Lager 4.7% ABV

Hijos de Rivera

A Galician lager and one of Spain’s most visible beer brands.

Mahou Cinco Estrellas

Lager 5.5% ABV

Mahou San Miguel

A Madrid classic and a major Spanish bar and supermarket beer.

Alhambra Reserva 1925

Premium lager 6.4% ABV

Cervezas Alhambra / Mahou San Miguel

Granada’s famous green-bottle lager, often positioned as a premium Spanish beer.

Estrella Damm

Lager 4.6% ABV

Damm

A Barcelona beer closely tied to Catalonia and Mediterranean food culture.

Cruzcampo Gran Reserva

Lager 6.4% ABV

Cruzcampo / Heineken España

An Andalusian beer brand with strong southern Spanish identity.

Food stories

Articles linked to Spanish recipes

Explore the wider stories behind ingredients, cooking methods, celebrations and national dishes.

Food story

Why Markets Create the Best Food Cultures

Markets are where food culture becomes visible, with fish halls, spice stalls, bakers, butchers, cheese counters and st…

Food story

Why Fried Rice Became a Global Favourite

Fried rice is thrift, speed and wok skill in one dish, built around yesterday’s rice and whatever the kitchen can offer…

Food story

The Best Egg Recipes Around the World

Eggs are breakfast, dinner, sauce, custard and comfort. This article follows the egg through tortillas, carbonara, shak…